For Those Who Suffer

A Story to Take You Away

I had never thought much of my brother.

I mean, sure - he had done a lot of things. Gotten his education, had a career. But none of that really mattered to me. I hadn't seen him for almost a decade. I was only 7 when he left - who was he to me?

Then one day he shows up out of no where saying how hard life is. Moves back in right? We didn't even have enough room for him. Some amazing guy he was.

The thing is, something happened some time after he moved in that made me think maybe something else was happening. Maybe, just maybe he was more than I thought.

I guess I should start at the beginning.

My name is Kel, and this is my story.

****

The sky outside was blue, but my family and I hadn't had a chance to step outside to see it.

"...Been living here for 6 months and you still don't have a job!" Mel, my only sister, threw her hands up in the air as she exlaimed. She was the middle child, and was the best sister I could have ever hoped for. "How are we ever going to get out of here! Mother, help me out here" she lowered her voice as she turned about.

Mother only smiled sadly as she watched events unfold. "It breaks my heart to see my three children fight" she said simply, turning to look over at Walker. Walker was my brother, the oldest of the three. I mean, I didn't dislike him - infact I loved him. But I didn't have much respect for him.

"I know, Mel - but there is more than what you see. Look at the world, it's ending around us! Where exactly do you want to go?" he responded sadly.

I watched on from behind the couch Walker was sitting on. It hurt to see Walker like this. The sadness in his voice, the sorrow in his eyes. I knew the argument would end soon - we never fought for long. We cared about each other too much for that. It didn't help we were stuck in this stupid 3 bedroom house with no where to go though. But Walker was right...the world was falling apart. What use was getting a job when he would just be sent home the next day because of some new "health danger" in the air? It had happened 4 times already. All of us kept getting locked in our houses to keep us "safe". Safe, but from what?

Mel let out a soft sigh and slumped back onto the couch. "I know, I know...you're right. I just...I'm scared alright? I don't want to think of what comes next."

Walker smiled softly and nodded his head. Only I, who was closest to him heard what he whispered under his breath. "Indeed, and it comes soon."

The family sat back to relax a bit. I walked around the couch to sit next to Walker. Even with the short argument, they still loved each other immensly. The three of them often told Mother, "You did something right, how many families love each other like we do." I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

It sounds like a regular story right? But see, this is where everything changed. Simply watch it unfold.

Not long after all this happened, the front door crashed open. Mel and I jumped up to stand infront of Mother. We were surprised to see Walker hadn't moved at all, his back still to the doorway as he looked out the window.

The three men that filed in all held guns, and kept a certain look in their eyes. These were men that would kill us.

"Food. And Money. Now" was all the man in the front said, the scar below his lip pulling his face into a perpetual scowl. Not that it would have made a difference. With his greasy long hair and bloodshot eyes, he would have been ugly anyway.

Before any of us could respond, Walker spoke for us, still not turning around.

"Why?" was all he said.

The first man looked like he was going to shoot him in the back of the head right then and there, but the second man spoke up. "There ain't been no work for almost a year now. People are hungry. People are scared."

"Oh, I see" Walker responded slowly, barely any inflection in his tone. "So it is ok to raid people now? As long as you are alright, who cares about them - right?"

The first man put his gun right up against the back of Walker's head. "Don't test me, son."

Mel and I both twitched to move at the same time, but Walker caught our eyes. There was no fear in them, only sadness and...resignation...or was it strength? Whatever it was, we both fell back into our positions.

"Smart kids" the greasy man chuckled. "Unfortunately, your brother has a big mouth."

Before the man could finish speaking, Walker cut him off. "You were going to kill us all anyway, where you not? Scum is scum, you think strength comes from holding that gun?"

I was surprised at this, truth be told. Walker never spoke about anyone like that. Sometimes, he was so mild mannered it annoyed the hell out of me. I used to think he was just a coward. In this very moment, I saw something different, that is when everything started to change.

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The greasy man chuckled and pulled the hammer back on his pistol "Haha, maybe so kiddo, maybe so."

The second man spoke up at this point, his piercing eyes, trained on Mel. "Except for her, she comes with us."

At this point my Mother finally jumped up and pushed the two of us out of the way. "You will never hurt my family he snarled in a voice I had never heard before. Oddly enough, the one who caught my attention in all of this was Walker. Gone was the resignation, gone was the apathy. He looked - sure of himself? He looked...different.

"Ah...hahah" he gave out a dry chuckle. "You should never have threatened my sister." I could tell Walker's voice was different now. It was steady, sure. He seemed a different person.

"I haven't the patience for you any longer. For the rest of your days, you will be trapped in your own mind forced to see yourself as you really are" he stated simply.

The greasy man began to chuckle before an ear piercing scream shattered the air behind him. The second man dropped his gun and clutched his head, the look in his eyes wild and terrified.

"Shut up, I have no desire to hear your torments, those are for you alone" Walker spoke again, his eyes hard as steel.

The man immediately stopped screaming and stood up, finishing with a slight hunch in his back. His eyes were lifeless now, and the man's hands hung loosely at his side. He turned and shoved past the third man - I had forgotten about him up until this point, and slowly shambled out the door.

"What kind of demon are you" the greasy man snarled, pulling his finger on the trigger. The gun fired and the sound was deafening. At the end of it, Walker continued sitting there, inspecting his nails in bordedom now, and the greasy man watched on in horror.

"It is curious" Walker began, "that you should call me a demon." The gun in the greasy man's hands slowly began to turn, his hand still stuck to it. Slowly, it began to point at his own face. "If I recall, it was you three who came here to murder an innocent family. Steal their food, steal their money, take advantage of an innocent young woman."

At this point the gun was pointing directly between the greasy man's eyes, his hand still glued to it - twisted at an unatural angle to keep hold of it.

I was still back with my mother and sister, watching in confusion. You see, magic didn't exist in this world. At least not yet.. It was guns and politics that held real power. We had heard of certain people making pacts with demon's and getting powers, but no one really belived it. I couldn't believe such a thing of my brother - he would never, ever do such a thing. I am glad I decided to continue trusting him at that time.

"However, you have me in a bit of a predicament" Walker continued calmly, steadily. "My family" he said, looking at us, "They are here. I would really rather they not see you meet the end you deserve."

The greasy man was sweating profusely at this point, but it looked like his jaw was locked. Walker had frozen the man in his own body.

"No matter" Walker finished, waving his hand dismissively. As he waved his hand, the gun crushed itself around the greasy man's hand, so that the two became one ball of twisted metal and organic matter. The man couldn't even scream, but his eyes were wild and he began to sweat even more.

"If you love your gun that much, you should never have to put it down. Now go, stand in the corner while I speak with your friend."

The man shuffled back into the corner and stood there quietly, his eyes staring wildly at what used to be his hand.

At this point, Walker finally stood up and turned to face the third man. Now that I took a closer look, he wasn't really a man - he was more of a boy, younger even than I. He didn't even have a gun.

"You don't agree with those two do you" Walker said, a statement and not a question. The boy nodded a few times, the fear in his eyes evident. "I can feel it in your emotions, see it in your eyes. They threatened you didn't they, come with us and help, or we will kill you."

The boy nodded more vigourously, tears welling up in his eyes.

"But you see" Walker continued, now standing right before the boy. He bent his head down so that their eyes met "That makes you nothing but a coward. You put your life before others, didn't you?"

He didn't speak accusingly, and I could tell he was actually trying to help the boy. Teaching him. Walker was always teaching. Even when we made mistakes, rather than just get mad - he would draw a lesson out of it. Funny how I never really realized it until that very moment. I also realized in that moment that I had more respect for him than I had realized, I just never knew it.

The boy dropped his eyes in shame, the tears slowly dripping down the side of his face.

"You always have a choice. Don't let anyone force you to do something you don't believe in" Walker finished kindly. "Go now" he continued to both of them, "The three of you will begin your destined journies by the end of this day."

The two remaining men walked out the door, and the boy slowly closed it behind them, glancing through the crack one last time at Walker before the door shut.

At that point, Walker returned to his seat and sat down. After taking a deep breath, he sighed and looked over at the three of us. He didn't say anything else, but his eyes let us know we could ask him what we would.

Mother was quiet - I don't think out of shock. Rather, she was just accepting, watching and waiting. Mel seemed to be batteling her own questions. So, I asked the first question.

"How?"

Walker smiled softly and looked out the window. "There are many things out there you do not know of. Many things to fear, but also many beautiful things. Things you don't understand."

Mother cleared her throat at this point but said nothing. Walker seemed to understand what she was asking though.

"Yes, there are many worlds out there. But this, this is the mother world - where all life started. There is something special in this world, but I won't get into that now" he answered before standing up and gesturing for us to follow him. "There are more races out there than human. The weakest stay here - but there are many with powers. They leave this place and go elsewhere. This world is protected by a greater power, and we know better than to disrupt it."

We were all standing on the porch now, staring out at the now early evening sky.

"Why?" was the word that slipped from Mel's lips. Her voice shook softly as she spoke it, questioning but also angry. "Why have you never used your power to help us?"

Walker didn't look at any of us, but continued to look out at the horizon. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" he said simply. "The only way to avoid it is not to have it. I have sealed my strength. While there are very few in all the multiverse that could stand against me, I am also just a man. Until now. I will allow none to hurt my family" he finished, his voice hardening at the end.

"The world is over as we know it" he continued, and as he spoke the entire land about us shook. In the distance, it looked like a giant bomb had gone off, but without the explosion. It was a mushroom cloud of vibrating air. "I must go for a time, but I will find a way back to all of you" he continued as the houses fell about us, as the mountains disappeared and new ones rose up. Only where we stood remained untouched, as Walker protected us from the outside world.

He turned to look at me at this point. "Kel" he had said, "You must find your own path. Go out there and find you. Every day will be scary. That's ok. Do it anyway. Be scared everyday but keep being you. Do it until you are no longer scared to be you. Do it until being you comes natural..."

******

"Kel!" Mel's voice echoed out from over the almost dead embers of the camp, her voice loud in the early morning air.

Kel jumped up and closed his journal, a smile on his lips. "I'm coming" he yelled.

Kel tucked the journal into his pack with a pat, turned to look up at the sky, thinking where Walker might be, and turned to continue his journey.